What resolution should your web site be designed for?

Varying resolutions of user's monitor can eclipse your site

Kudos for making a fascinating web site and for all the real hard work you put in place from your end. But as a matter of fact you deserve rewards in terms of what you expect your web site to yield rather than eulogies from some other quarter.

The beauty of your web site should percolate down to its intended end users. But what is critical on this front is: Your web site should dawn on your users precisely the way you have designed it -- intelligently and laboriously -- to appear.

Your desire may be topping your wish list but it may be marred by some hard facts. The usage of PC is still evolving and characterized by marked disparity in its constituent parts. This is note that the majority of PC users use older versions and their willingness to opt for latest accessories is something very discouraging.

A glimpse on differing resolutions in use

Right at the outset, be it known to you that monitor size and monitor resolution are two altogether different entities and should not make you perplexed to render your web design adaptive to it. The matter of pretty concerns is the resolution of the monitor which can be a hurdle or a good help to showcase your web site's prized attributes.

In the preliminary phase of PC popularity, 640 by 480 resolutions ruled the roost but it gave way to other resolutions as they hit the market fancifully. The commonest resolutions, as of now, happen to be 640 by 480, still quite in number, 800 by 600, and 1,024 by 768. What makes the matter tough to deal with is the fact that these resolutions apart, there is good number of some odd dimensions. Though not common, but still they assume importance because you will be missing out to count on them to be beneficiaries of your web site. Reasons? Well, they may end up being deprived to see your web site the way you have intended them because their resolutions do not support to see your web site in its entirety, with all its beauty and elegance.

You are right if you get a little confused as this is almost a quirky situation when it comes to design at what resolutions for better results, and of course, for better reach.

Let's find some workable solutions!

One-Size-Does-Not-Fit-All. So, what are the workarounds?

What workarounds you should be up to largely depends on what kind of coverage your web site has been conceived and accordingly designed for. Take for example, if you intended your web site to be classy and artistic, go on with the resolutions that help look it as desired regardless of its reach.

Due consideration cannot be done away in case where one aims for optimal exposure, especially when the web site supports and promotes business interests. Though web site in entirety is something of great importance to a business, but nonetheless some part of the web page might be comparatively important to other parts. Like, part that exhibits navigation bar, ad banners, your own or of clients, new product launches, or cool offers.

These important stuff should be visible to all - whoever browses your site no matter what screen resolutions they are using. While designing for resolutions, keep all such crucial stuff in 640-by-480 display size simply because this is believed to be most fundamental dimension in use. The advantage emanating from this approach is that you do not necessarily design exclusively for 640-by-480 users, but at the same time do not deprive them to see what could be important to you -- and for them, too. And those using higher resolutions are nicely targeted in the process.

There is a useful way to help you in your prepatory works to make your web site rightly visible across users of different resolutions. It is a good move to see for yourself how your web page looks in different resolutions. Whether the crucial part is catching the attention of users in different resolutions. If not, where on the web page that important part may be strategically placed to augment visibility across different resolutions as may be possible.

But how do you begin? There is something called shareware programs, compatible with Windows or Macintosh, which comes for this purpose. With this, you can accomplish all the above tasks, and can do the adjustments as a result thereof.

There is yet another means that can help you out in your visibility drive. As the benefits of this means are galore; so expectedly, it will demand a good amount of time and efforts on your part. After all, what rewards you ultimately is what tests your nerves. You need to have different versions of our web site in terms of resolutions to begin with. Further, you have to use JavaScript to find out the resolution of your user. This will be followed by redirecting the user to the version best suited to the resolution in question, giving your web site utmost exposure with vividness and clarity.

Coming out of this intrigue, on safer side

You must be up to this point that there is no simple answer to the simple question: What resolution should your design web site for?

Well, it depends on a lot of things. Though it can vary in the context of the nature of web site and its intended purpose as outlined in preceding workarounds part of this article.

Depending on your needs, you may well go for accommodating the full space of the window browser for lower resolutions, or you may act cautious so that your web content is rightly printed out on normally used papers in standard laser printer. Designing for 640-by-480 is a safe resort, but designing for 750 pixels width will be especially better for higher dimensions, and will go in harmony with lower dimensions as well if decisive stuff is placed thoughtfully with an eye on visibility accruing on lower dimensions .

Another careful consideration in your web site could be the use of frames. Frames consume a good deal of space, and may make other significant things on your web site wanting in space. Follow a thumb rule: Use the minimal number of frames in your web site, and its use must have convincing reasons. Simply put, use it when and only when you cannot think of its substitutes and frame alone is the answer. Sensible use of frames will make other important things on the site visually prominent.

To cut the story short, you do not have direct controls on what resolutions users would be having on their monitors while browsing. But accommodating most of the users across varying resolutions to make them see the most vital aspect of your web page is something you cannot afford to miss. Technologies keep on progressing and user patterns change, albeit slowly - this very aptly depicts the way users are opting for higher resolutions. In this backdrop, make sure that significant low end users are not unattended and your business is not at an opportunity cost.